Under the leadership of first-year American manager Jesse Marsch, RB Salzburg is running riot at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga. The club is undefeated after nine matches with eight wins, one draw and a goal difference of +31. They’re also through to the Round of 16 in the Austrian Cup, but it’s the club’s early performances in the Champions League that've made Europe take notice.
A 6-2 victory over Genk on Match Day 1 — fueled by a hat trick from 19-year-old phenom Erling Håland — caught the eye, and then yesterday’s riotous 4-3 defeat at Anfield captivated viewers around the planet.
The defending European champions stormed to a 3-0 lead by the 36th minute before Salzburg pulled one back before halftime. Marsch then delivered the speech that you’ll find at the top of this page, and Salzburg absolutely hammered Liverpool for the first 15 minutes of the second half.
On the hour mark, another UCL goal from the teenager Håland brought Salzburg level at 3-3, leaving Anfield stunned. It took a Mohamed Salah goal for Liverpool (squad value: $1.23 billion) to finally overcome Salzburg (squad value: $108 million).
From an American perspective, the reaction is to want Marsch to coach the USMNT immediately, but let’s be honest: Why would you swap working with players day in, day out and the Champions League and a burgeoning career in the European club game for a desk job and CONCACAF Nations League matches against Cuba and Canada?
Let’s let him do his thing and see where he is 20 years from now.
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